StageOne Dhaka is going to stage its 10th production ‘The Zoo Story’ a one-act play by American playwright Edward Albee, today at the EMK Center, in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.  

Written by Edward Albee, the play has been translated into Bangla by Dominic Gomes. The play explores themes of isolation, loneliness, miscommunication as anathematization, social disparity and dehumanization in a materialistic world.

This one-act play concerns two characters, Peter and Jerry, who meet on a park bench in New York City’s Central Park. Peter is a wealthy publishing executive with a wife, two daughters, two cats, and two parakeets. Jerry is an isolated and disheartened man, desperate to have a meaningful conversation with another human being. He intrudes on Peter’s peaceful state by interrogating him and forcing him to listen to stories about his life and the reason behind his visit to the zoo. The action is linear, unfolding in front of the audience in “real time”. The elements of ironic humor and unrelenting dramatic suspense are brought to a climax when Jerry brings his victim down to his own savage level.

The cast of the play includes Bappaditya Chowdhur and Tonmoy Biswas.

StageOne Dhaka (SODA) is a professional theater company registered in Bangladesh and based in Dhaka. The founder members of this Company are Mita Chowdhury, Shahidur Rahman, and Dominic Gomes. The Company has been active since 2007 and it presents socially and culturally relevant plays. The presentations included indigenous writing, European classics as well as contemporary drama with particular importance being placed on bilingual texts.

Where: EMK Center (9th Floor, Midas Center, No. 5, Road 16 (Old 27), Dhanmondi

When: 7pm, today